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Suspended Animation

I recently had opportunity to meet an immigrant family who made their huge fortune in one generation. This includes three mansions in as many different countries, ability to spend extravagantly on everything including the basic needs of life - food, clothing and household items. There is more money, than years left in the lives of the generation that made it, to spend it. And so it flows out like from a faucet turned on full. 

Staying a couple of days with the family was an illuminating experience for me. Most of the people they started out with, are way behind them in socio-economic status. There is a newer set of rich friends that were acquired later in life but those relationships don't run deep. The older connections have an intrinsic value to this family - it brings the familiar and comfortable. So they like to keep these contacts alive but are wary. They can never be sure what these former connections seek from them - money, status, privilege or just friendship. 

I was a new entrant to their scene - through one of their old connections. They had never met me before and tried to size me up and my potential intent. I got the distinct feeling that they would extend every hospitality during my stay but keep their distance after that. It made sense - its too much work to deal with yet another person with so many clamoring for their time and attention. They like broadcasting their lives on Facebook where I have no presence. Communicating with me would time directed solely towards me - that is simply unsustainable. 

Returning from my visit, I could not help thinking this is a tough bracket of wealth to be in. Its not enough to afford escape velocity from the past so it keeps the person in suspended animation between the baggage of a past life that cannot be jettisoned and the stratospheric level of wealth they can never reach. So they have to expend energy trying to sort people for their agenda and motivations, decide how to proceed. A random person like me shows up, there is not enough data to even do that math. That must be a net waste of their time I would imagine. 

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